'People's thought pattern has changed, UPFA will capture the Northern PC'

By P. Krishnaswamy

The UPFA candidate for the September 21 Northern PC elections Mudiyappu Remedious (Attorney-at-Law), a former TNA councillor of the Jaffna MC told the Sunday Observer in a telephone interview, that with the huge development activities implemented by the Government for rebuilding the war-ravaged province, the multifarious programs for providing enhanced livelihood facilities for the resettled people and, above all, the people's growing sense of dislike towards the TNA over its ambivalent stand on all crucial political issues, it is certain the UPFA will capture the Northern PC .

He spoke on the present thought pattern of the people, the justifiability of the Government's decision to withhold land and police powers and the veracity of the repeated allegations of rival political parties on the acquisition of private lands.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: You said the UPFA, this time around, has a good chance of winning the Northern PC elections because the vote bank and popularity of the TNA is diminishing rapidly. Could you please explain?

A: It is true that in the past the TNA won the parliamentary and local government polls but now the thought pattern of the people is changing and they have begun to realise that they suffered untold miseries and hardships because of the LTTE and the parties that supported it. They have begun to appreciate the Government's huge development activities and livelihood programs undertaken in the province. The popularity of the TNA and its vote bank are diminishing. They have not submitted any proposals by way of a devolution package. The TNA keeps saying that the international community will come to the rescue of the Tamils. They do not seem to have any basic policies on the crucial political issues and they change their stand from time to time to hoodwink the people. It is apparent that there are rifts and differences of views among the constituents of the TNA on crucial political issues. They could not even elect a chief ministerial candidate unanimously. The highhanded and arbitrary decisions of the party leadership have often come under criticism from constituent parties. They talk about 'Tamil nationalism '. It is only a lip service to mislead the people. They have not sacrificed anything, not even their parliamentary seats or the comforts of their families. The people are beginning to realise the bitter truth. In the 30 year long war on terrorism, to which the TNA had also contributed, thousands of people were killed or maimed, properties lost and a majority of the people are awaiting enhanced resettlement and livelihood facilities. To achieve this, we have to support the party in power. Nothing can be achieved through rigid and confrontational politics. Many things for the affected people can be done through politics of compromise and consensus.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that other than the lives destroyed in the tragic three-decade-long war on terrorism, he will give everything else for rebuilding the war-ravaged provinces and provide peace, dignity and livelihood facilities to those affected.

Three free and fair elections were held in the Northern Province and the TNA contested and won in those elections. But now in the run up to the PC elections , they are accusing that there will be no free and fair elections.

Q: The President has reiterated his stand that land and police powers will not be vested with the PCs. Your comments on it?

A: There is widespread suspicions among the majority community that the TNA, in collaboration with their foreign sympathisers and supporters, might use the PC as a stepping stone towards achieving its separatism goal if police and land powers are given. They are prompted to think so in the context of the fact that when the Northeastern PC was formed in 1988, under the Indo-Lanka Agreement of 1987, and Varadaraja Perumal became the Chief Minister , a Tamil National Army was formed. A Civil Volunteer Force was also formed. These highhanded auxiliary forces took the law into their hands and committed untold atrocities and injustices to the people of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The present TNA constituent Suresh Premachandaren MP was a consultant to the Northeastern PC at the time. Finally, the PC administration announced its "Declaration of Independent Tamil Eelam". The people of the South know it.

In the event of the UPFA capturing power of the Northern PC , the question of whether or not police and land powers should be devolved to the PCs will not arise.

Q: The JVP says there will be no free and fair elections since the Northern Province is under a military rule. What is your comment?

A: The JVP is not a party with any principles and only want to create chaos. I have never known the JVP appreciating the government's development programs of rebuilding the Northern province and the socio-economic uplift of the people. I have not come across any instances where people have been harassed or threatened. The people are happy and enjoy their freedom. Let the JVP which accuses of military rule and harassment point out instances where people have either been threatened or harassed.

Q: If the UPFA forms the administration of the Northern PC, what will be your priority focus ?

A: In the post-conflict period a majority of the displaced people are without a regular income. We will have to focus on that as a priority issue. About seven percent of the people do not have drinking water or toilet facilities. There are thousands of widows in the province. We have to formulate plans, to address these issues. The fishermen who were affected under the sea security zone restrictions during the years 1983 - 2009 have not been paid any compensation. Nothing has been done to offset the losses they suffered. They should be given incentives and facilities. The PC will look into these on a priority basis. We will also focus on the future welfare of the agricultural families.

Q: What are your views on the propagation of Tamil Nationalism ?

A: Those who talk about Tamil Nationalism for their own political ends are not thinking about the people's welfare. The political prisoners now in detention and those who joined the different militant movements are regretting today that they have ruined their lives. I believe the devastated lives of the Tamils would be restored to their original state and they would be able to achieve everything they desire if those who talk about 'Tamil Nationalism" would be silent. Those who rouse such communal sentiments among the people have not sacrificed anything; either their parliamentary seats or the comforts they enjoy.

The TNA has never spoken against poaching by the Indian fishermen which has ruined the Northern maritime resources and the lives of the fishermen. I personally witnessed it when the delegation of the Indian opposition parliamentarians went to the North about three months ago . The TNA parliamentarians desisted from telling them about Indian poaching although a pointed question was asked by the delegation as to whether the poaching vessels were Indian.

Q: The TNA chief ministerial candidate C.V.Vigneswaran has said if the TNA formed the PC administration after the elections, the first thing he will do is remove the present Northern Province Governor Maj.Gen.G.A.Chandrasiri because he is a military personnel. Your comments on that ?

A: Governor Maj.Gen.Chandrasiri is an excellent and highly disciplined administrator and under his administration all development programs of the Government for the province were implemented to the appreciation of everyone. He was Commanding Officer of the Army for Jaffna in the years 2000-2007 . Even when the dusk to dawn curfew was in force, he never hesitated to come forward to help people in distress. On many occasions, he has given orders to his subordinate officers to permit me to travel to different places to save people in trouble.

Q: The TNA is accusing the Government of taking over the lands of the Northern people. Your comments?

A: Lands were acquired for the High Security Zone and other military installations for security reasons. But the TNA is obstructing the dismantling of some military installations because they keep spreading news through its website that there are some 6000 LTTEers still in hide-outs, here and abroad.